Reading Festival Day 5

Katherine Rundell, Oxford academic and author of The Girl Savage, brought the week to an exciting conclusion. Her enthusiasm was catching, as she shared some of her childhood experiences in Zimbabwe with Year 7 and explained her personal rules for writing. She led a lively session exploring ideas for the beginning of a story and for improvements to the cover design and blurb for her next novel, Rooftoppers. We’ll have to wait until March to see if “rapscallions” makes it onto the back cover!

Some comments on the Reading Festival from pupils in Year7:
“I really liked all the authors. They gave me inspiration.”
“The best part was being told how to write a book well.”
“I think the authors are really great and have very interesting stories to tell.”

Reading Festival - Day 4

On her eagerly-anticipated return visit to the school, award-winning author Gillian Cross spent the day giving us an insight into her inspiration, research and writing methods.
Over 300 staff and pupils, from St Edmund’s, Dunmore, Carswell and The Manor schools as well as OLA Junior pupils from Years 5 and 6, enjoyed a lively session on The Demon Headmaster in which Gillian stressed the importance of reading as a creative process, using a range of cover designs from across the world.
Years 7 and 8 learnt about the inspiration and research for The Great Elephant Chase and how small details can spark important ideas.
Year 9 followed the creative journey that resulted in Wolf and Calling a Dead Man: a process that included the “magic moment when the whole book comes to life”, an encounter with a pack of wolves at London Zoo and some questions to surprised Army sources about the “squidginess” of plastic explosives.

Reading Festival - 3 more writers visit OLA

Christopher Lloyd, author of What on Earth Evolved?: 100 Species that Changed the World, was a guest speaker on Day 2 of OLA's Reading Festival and bought along his 8 metre long wall book.

He spent a busy day speaking to nearly all the year groups. Ms Edwards, Head of Biology said, "A fantastic day of inspiring and engaging talks with a first-class speaker. The main focus was “100 species that changed the world” through natural and artificial selection, illustrated by so many weird and wonderful examples, finishing with the significance of biodiversity. "

Day 3 saw two further visitors.

Rebecca Emin, a former pupil of Our Lady’s Abingdon, came to talk to Year 8 and Year 9 about her school days and her books, New Beginnings and When Dreams Come True. She said afterwards, “ I really enjoyed coming back to the school and seeing how things had changed. It’s great to see the school putting so much emphasis on literature. I was delighted to take part in the OLA Reading Festival. Enjoy the rest of the week!"


An audience of 200+ enjoyed a fun and memorable evening with Clarissa Dixon Wright.

It was a pleasure to listen to her serious and humorous anecdotes about her life, TV series and passionate support for country life. Thanks to Mostly Books for organising her visit.

Jo Cotterill at the OLA Reading Festival

Well-known children’s author and former pupil, Jo Cotterill, got the OLA Reading Festival week off to a great start, with an informative and entertaining talk to Years 7 and 8. She outlined her development as a writer, from the age of six, with her story of the “Chismus tree”, to her current “Sweet Hearts” series. Her amusing account of the creative process, from initial idea to published novel, was followed by a lively question-and answer session.

OLA Reading Festival 24-28 September

Six writers will be visiting Our Lady's Abingdon next week, and nearly all of our students will have the opportunity to hear at least one author's talk. Two former pupils who are now published authors, Jo Cotterill and Rebecca Emin, will be talking about what makes them write and how they go about it. Dynamic scientist Christopher Lloyd will bring his 8m long wall book and a variety of objects to illustrate the history of science. Carnegie Medal winner Gillian Cross is revisiting OLA and will have three sessions, including a talk to pupils from local junior schools. Young author and Oxford University fellow, Katherine Rundell is also making a welcome return to OLA and will certainly make some new fans among Year 7, and give older pupils some of her advice about studying English at university.
On the evening of Wednesday 26th, we are hosting Clarissa Dixon Wright. Refreshments from 7.00 for 7.30. Tickets from Mostly Books in Abingdon.

Man Booker Prize 2012 Shortlist

The Man Booker Prize 2012 Shortlist has been announced:

Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil
Swimming Home by Deborah Levy
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
The Lighthouse by Alison Moore
Umbrella by Will Self

The winner will be announced on 16 October.
More information

Welcome back!

What have you read during the last two months?

Over the holiday I hope many of you will have enjoyed spending some of your leisure time reading. New Year 7s - bring in your OLA Summer Reading Challenge, your Diamond Jubilee Reading Passport or your Story Lab record for a commendation. Years 8 and 9 - a book review will earn you a commendation. Bring it or email it to the Library. Also wanted - your photos of where you have been reading

This term in the school library: the start of the Reading Olympics and reading buddies, book clubs, Kids' Lit Quiz heats, book chains, a book swap, 'poetree',and, of course, much more reading.

And very soon - 24-29 September - the OLA Reading Festival!